Acquitted
by AliceRulesMyWorld
Summary: The jury sympathized with Alejandro Rivera and he's back.


"Where's Gibbs?" Tony asked, directed at either McGee or Ziva, whichever one answered first.

"Hey! McSmile," Tony directed at McGee who had a shit-eating grin on his face, "where is Gibbs?"

"He's with the director." McGee answered, not looking away from his screen.

"Was with the director." Ziva corrected. A door slammed and Gibbs walked down the steps, but the director followed right after.

"This is bad."

"Your powers of observation astound me, Tony." Ziva said.

Gibbs stormed into the bull pen, radiating anger. "Uh, Boss?"

"That son of a bitch was acquitted!" He shouted.

"Who?"

"Who do ya think, DiNozzo?"

"We playing the guessing game?"

"No, we're playing Alejandro Rivera wasn't convicted and all of you are going to a safe house. If you're not working, that's where you are."

"Boss, come on," McGee began, "he's not as resourceful as Po…"

"Gibbs! Gibbs!" Abby chirped, running up to him, next to Tony's desk. before detecting the somber mood of the room. "Gibbs?" her voice turned small. "What is it?"

"I'm sending the lot of you to a safe house."

"But, what about you?"

Unbeknownst to Tony, who has constant foot in mouth syndrome, Vance was just around the corner when he asked. "Vance didn't put you on protection detail, did he?"

"I know better than that, DiNozzo."

"Director." Tony winced internally. Vance had been spending too much time with Gibbs, evidently. "How's…thank you, Boss." He winced visibly this time.

Vance shifted slightly so he was facing Abby. "You, on the other hand, you are the easiest target, because you're not an agent with training." Ziva and McGee had gravitated towards Tony's desk so that the six formed a perfect semi-circle. Complaints arose at once and twin slaps were delivered to Tony and McGee followed by a head slap to Ziva.

"His father killed my family once. He's not killing my family again." He made eye contact with each of them. "So you guys are going to meet my father at the safe house and unless you're at work, together or with me, you're there. That clear?"

How could they say no to that?

The moment was beginning to feel awkward so Tony, true to his typical self said, as if in all seriousness, "As dysfunctional as we may be." Gibbs nodded, a silent 'thank you for breaking the silence'.

Just as no one asked about Gibbs and Abby, no one knew if Tony and Gibbs were best friends or like father and son. Tony often thought 'both'. Gibbs was either the father he never really had, since his own was a complete failure, or the best friend who always had his back.

Ziva's father had been dead to her for a while; it had just taken her a while to realize it. Gibbs was, to her, what Eli David never was. She was not _just_ an employee; she was a friend, a daughter.

The team was more than a team. They were a family.

Everyone saw each other as something to them. They saw them, though, as more than coworkers, but as people they would die for without a second thought—though they would never ask each other to do the same.

And so, upon thought, upon consideration, they had no choice but to agree.

"Is something missing?" Abby asked, looking around while her pigtails danced from side to side.

"Like what?" Ziva asked.

"I'm disappointed in all of you."

"Gibbs." Tony said, "He's not here. I'll call him."

"Yeah, Gibbs." Tony put it on speaker.

"Boss, it's late. You can quit now."

"I did."

Abby jumped in. "Step away from the boat Gibbs! We have to be here but you don't have to be here? Gibbs, you're in more danger than we are! You need to get over here now. I mean now. Like when I need results from Major mass spec sort of now, not like when I need to have lunch kind of now. Do you understand me, Gibbs?"

"On my way, Abbs." The line dropped off. Three hours, twelve almost calls by Abby , twenty six paces around the living room area by Abby, and 15 rants about how irresponsible Gibbs was being—also by Abby—he arrived.

"So, Boss, I was thinking as far as sleeping arrangements go…"

"Yeah, you can bunk with Ziva. I got the couch." Tony was suspicious. _That was far too easy…_

"Gibbs, don't be silly, you can bunk with me." Abby interjected.

"Abbs, I fall asleep against my boat and you think sleeping on a couch is silly?"

She answered in a tiny voice, "I'll feel safer if you're with me. Please, Gibbs?"

"You can have the covers." He qualified.

"Why do you insist on making yourself uncomfortable, Gibbs?" She shook her head, exasperated.

"Otherwise, you would have to be." He replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"You're being silly again. We'll share."


End file.
